Pumpkin in a Cheesecake

This recipe is healthier than your average cheesecake thanks to the addition of pumpkin, dates and toasted walnuts. It's also filled with the warming spices of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, making it the perfect cosy dessert for when the weather turns chilly.

Introduction

Considering it has a whole pumpkin in it, this ghoulish creation errs on the healthier side of the spectrum.

Serves 8-10

Prep time: 4 h 30 min

Cook time: 30 min

Total time: 5 h

Ingredients

1kg

pumpkin or squash

a gloss of olive oil

200g

walnuts, toasted

100g

dates, pitted

1 tbsp

cocoa powder

2 tsp

ground cinnamon

75g

soft brown sugar

1 tbsp

vanilla extract, or seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod

1 tsp

ground ginger

1 tsp

ground nutmeg

1 tsp

ground cloves

250g

cream cheese, or make labneh with 500g natural yoghurt

250–300ml

double cream

sea salt

Essential kit

You will need a 20cm springform tin (or use 8–10 ramekins for individual cheesecakes).

Instructions

To make your own labneh for the cheesecake just mix a pinch of salt and 4 sprigs of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped, through 500g yoghurt. Tip the mixture out onto a large piece of muslin cloth or a clean, thin tea towel. Gather the corners of the muslin and tie up on the handle of a kitchen cupboard or somewhere similar, with a bowl set beneath it to catch the whey. It needs at least 4 hours’ straining. Once done, scoop the thick minty yoghurt from the cloth and refrigerate until ready to serve (use the whey in place of milk or buttermilk in baking).

Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas 7.

Put a large roasting tin in the oven to heat. Cut the pumpkin or squash into wedges. Scoop out the seeds (save and toast for a snack) and gloss the wedges with oil. Add a pinch of salt and tumble onto the roasting tin. Roast for 30 minutes until mashably tender.

Whizz the toasted walnuts, pitted dates, cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of the ground cinnamon and a little salt in a blender or food processor until fully ground. Press into a 20cm springform tin (or use 8–10 ramekins for individual cheesecakes) and chill.

Once the pumpkin/squash is cooked, scoop the flesh from the skin and whizz to a purée in a blender or food processor or using a hand blender. Add the sugar and remaining spices. One the mix is cool, whip in the cream cheese or labneh and cream. Taste, and add more spices, if needed. Once the mixture is thick, smooth and tasty, spread it over the chilled base.

Leave to chill for 4 hours in the fridge or for 1 hour in the freezer before serving.